Are We That Different?
Reviewed by Momizat on
May 12.
Written and Media by Taylor Ratcliffe. This week, I have interviewed three female soccer players, all at different stages of their career. I have asked them simWritten and Media by Taylor Ratcliffe. This week, I have interviewed three female soccer players, all at different stages of their career. I have asked them sim
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Are We That Different?

This week, I have interviewed three female soccer players, all at different stages of their career. I have asked them similar questions in order to see if people start soccer-based on the same reasons. Then I also questioned them to see if they continued playing for similar or differing reasons. The big question is, are we, as athletes, that different?

A: I started playing in kindergarten. I started playing because I just loved sports and I wanted to try every sport that was available to me.

Q: Why is it you chose to play soccer in college over other sports?

A: I had given up all other sports by the time I was a senior in high school. I chose soccer over the others because I really enjoyed playing it. I loved playing with my sister and I loved the challenge of being a goalie. My experience as a goalie couldn’t compare to any other sports I played because being a goalie challenged me in a way that I had never been challenged before. I loved knowing I was the last person who could stop a goal from happening.

Q: What do you enjoy most about playing soccer in college?

A: College has taught me a lot about the sport that I never knew before. It challenged me as a student athlete in ways I couldn’t imagine. I really love the team also. I have met some of my closest friends through playing soccer and I can’t imagine not having met the girls on the team. They have become my sisters. College soccer also made me into a player that I never knew I could be. It took me to a new level that I didn’t realize I had the potential to play at.

Rebecca getting ready to take a header. Photo by: Lourdes Machado

Interview with Rebecca Munshaw, former player at Greenville College – Position: Defense, Age: 22, Year: Senior in college

Q: When and why did you start playing soccer?

A: Well, I started when I was four! My parents put me in it I believe. And growing up in Canada, I played on indoor and outdoor leagues. It was a year round sport for me. In high school, when we moved to Greenville, I chose to play soccer at school as well as club soccer. I would even play on a 7v7 league in the summer. For college, I decided I loved soccer enough to make it worth the work and I stuck out my last four years. I never once regretted any of the time I dedicated to the sport. I created a lot of relationships and it helped me hone in on my calling which is loving people.

Q: Now that your career in college soccer is over with, what will you do to fill that need/desire in your life?

A: Actually I’m glad you’ve asked that! I have decided to run a marathon this upcoming fall and have begun the training for it. I also do yoga every day which I found that I love!

From these answers, we can conclude that kids tend to start soccer at young ages, however, they continue playing for various reasons. They played/play/or want to play college ball because they want to learn something. So the answer as to whether athletes are actually that different is no; the love of soccer is universal and can be shared among anyone of varying age groups.